While there is a bountiful amount of incredible viewing content—with A-list casts—on our screens at the moment, there are two members of TV royalty whose absence we’ve sorely missed.
With Younger ending back in June and with the recent And Just Like That… revival, we lost our weekly dose of Hilary Duff’s Kelsey and Kim Cattrall’s Samantha, as well as their stunning outfits and hilarious escapades.
Enter: How I Met Your Father.
Based on the original sitcom series, How I Met Your Mother, this spin off sees main character Sophie, attempt to navigate the world of dating in 2021. Set in present day New York City, the series follows a group of friends who are all struggling to find romantic connections of their own.
Interest piqued? Below, everything you need to know about How I Met Your Father, including its cast, plot and release date.
What Is The Plot Of How I Met Your Father?
For those who missed the original series, How I Met Your Mother followed a father describing his relationship history to his children. In a series of flashbacks, we see Ted (played by Josh Radnor) fall in and out of love with different women on his journey to finding “the one,” and the mother of his aforementioned children.
The script for How I Met Your Father that has finally been green lit for production comes from This Is Us showrunners Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger. If this sounds familiar, it’s because the pair had initially tried to get the HIMYM spin-off concept off the ground in late 2016, but became unavailable after their appointment as This Is Us showrunners.
Per Deadline, the series will be produced by Hulu and from the fact it’s already had a 10-episode order, this one is near-guaranteed binge-watching material.
The new series will take place in the year 2021 and follows Sophie, played by Duff, and her close-knit group of friends, Jesse, Valentina, Charlie, Ellen and Sid who are all in the midst of figuring out their love lives and how to deal with the stress of dating apps.
In a statement about the spin-off series, the original HIMYM creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas spoofed the show’s familiar opening lines.
“Kids, I’m going to tell you an incredible story,” they began. “It’s the story of how two writers got lucky enough to make their dream TV show for nine seasons and now get to pass the torch to an inspired new creative team with their own incredible story to tell, the story of How I Met Your Father. We are honoured by their passion and vision, and look forward to helping them tell a legendary new story. Thanks to all the HIMYM fans out there who waited for it.”
For her part, Duff has explained that she’s very keen to work with this popular source material and the creative talent driving the How I Met Your Father series.
“I’ve been incredibly lucky in my career to play some wonderful characters and I’m looking forward to taking on the role of Sophie. As a huge fan of How I Met Your Mother, I’m honoured and even a little nervous that Carter and Craig would trust me with the sequel of their baby,” Duff said in an Instagram video.
“Isaac and Elizabeth are brilliant, and I can’t wait to work alongside them and all of their genius. Just fangirling over here getting to join the Hulu Originals and 20th families. I realise these are big shoes to fill and I’m excited to slip my 6 ½’s in there.”
Is There A Trailer For How I Met Your Father?
Yes, there most certainly is! On December 17, protagonist Hilary Duff posted the first official trailer for How I Met Your Father, along with a caption: “I couldn’t be more obsessed with this pack of weirdos and I am very proud of our show! Everyone involved has added something special.”
In the almost-two-minute clip, Duff’s character Sophie can be seen confiding in her friends about having been on endless dates and how she’s sick of using dating apps. One of her friends even gets her to repeat an affirmation, saying, “Today is the first chapter of my next great love story.”
But the best bit? Within the first five seconds of the trailer, Kim Cattrall makes a long-awaited onscreen appearance. While saying the signature line, “This is the story of how I met your father”, Cattrall can be seen sitting on the infamous couch from the original series while wearing a neutral-hued jumper.
Curious? Check out the trailer for How I Met Your Father and see for yourself.
WATCH BELOW: How I Met Your Father Trailer
Who Is Cast In How I Met Your Father?
If you’re still dealing with the whiplash of hope and loss from the sadly unrealised Lizzie McGuire TV series reboot, fear not. Hilary Duff is set to star in the upcoming spin-off. Duff is set to play the main character Sophie, who is telling her son the titular story of how she met his father, exactly how Josh Radnor’s Ted Mosby did in the original series.
Joining her, as we already know, is Sex And The City royalty, Kim Cattrall. But who is she set to star as? Well, Cattrall will be playing a future version of Sophie.
As for the rest of the cast, Christ Lowell is set to star as Sophie’s close-friend Jesse, Francia Raisa as Valentina, Tom Ainsley as Charlie, Tien Tran as Ellen and Suraj Sharma as Sid.
In a sweet sneak-peek, Hulu shared a photo of the new cast (sans Cattrall) and it’s convinced us the show is going to be well worth the wait.
When Will How I Met Your Father Be Released?
While sharing the first trailer for the show on Instagram, Duff also announced the official release date. Eager fans can expect to start binge-watching How I Met Your Father on January 18, 2022.
As for where it will be available to watch, Disney+ has confirmed How I Met Your Father will be arriving on the Australian site soon. So, we advise you sign up now to prep for immediate bingeing.
